The Cause: The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama

About the Book

Tracing the birth of liberalism in post war America through the personalities of those who helped create it. The extrordinary stories of politicians, intellectuals, visionaries, activist and public personalities who battled for the heart and soul of the nation are described in this definitive history. Liberals have struggled to bring social justice to a divided America, trying to end economic inequality, racial discrimination and political repression whilst recogonising the difficulty of change. Bestselling authors and historians traces the history of change.

About the Author :

Eric Alterman is Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. A columnist for "The Nation, The Forward, "and "The Daily Best, "he is senior fellow of the Center for American Progress, the Nation Institute, and the World Policy Institute. The author of eight previous books, including the national bestseller "What Liberal Media?, " Alterman is the winner of the George Orwell Award, the Jack London Literary Prize, and the Mirror Award for media criticism. A graduate of Cornell, Yale, and Stanford universities, he lives with his family in Manhattan.

Review :
"The New York Times" Editors Choice
What a relief it is, then, to read Eric Alterman s superb new book "The Cause."
"The Boston Globe"
Thorough and thoughtful. "Kirkus Reviews"
So many books lately on the rise of the Right, but here, finally, is a history of postwar liberalism. Media critic, political columnist (e.g., "The Nation"), CUNY journalism professor, and best-selling author (e.g., "Why We re Liberal"), Alterman joins with Ohio University professor Mattson to define liberalism through the individuals who have shaped it over the last decades. Important for current events readers except in really red states."
"Library Journal"
[A]n illuminating history of postwar politics, international relations, culture, and philosophy all in one scrupulously researched volume.
"Publishers Weekly"
[Eric] Alterman and [Kevin] Mattson present an impressive history.
"Library Journal"
"The Cause" is at its best in its deft articulation of the inseparability of liberalism s strengths and weaknesses.
"Yale Alumni Magazine"
"The Cause" provides an ample arsenal of information to remind liberals that theirs is the side of virtue.
"The History News Network"
Witty . Simply by telling this story it reminds us that "liberal" has always been and remains one of the ways of being a patriotic, constructive American.
"Sullivan County Democrat"" ""The Cause" provides an ample arsenal of information to remind liberals that theirs is the side of virtue."
-- "The History News Network" "The New York Times" Editors' Choice

"What a relief it is, then, to read Eric Alterman's superb new book "The Cause"."
-- "The Boston Globe" "Witty.... Simply by telling this story it reminds us that "liberal" has always been and remains one of the ways of being a patriotic, constructive American."
-- "Sullivan County Democrat" "[Eric] Alterman and [Kevin] Mattson present an impressive history."
-- "Library Journal" "What a relief it is, then, to read Eric Alterman's superb new book "The Cause.""
-- "The Boston Globe" ""The Cause" is at its best in its deft articulation of the inseparability of liberalism's strengths and weaknesses."
-- "Yale Alumni Magazine" "[A]n illuminating history of postwar politics, international relations, culture, and philosophy--all in one scrupulously researched volume."
-- "Publishers Weekly" "So many books lately on the rise of the Right, but here, finally, is a history of postwar liberalism. Media critic, political columnist (e.g., "The Nation"), CUNY journalism professor, and best-selling author (e.g., "Why We're Liberal"), Alterman joins with Ohio University professor Mattson to define liberalism through the individuals who have shaped it over the last decades. Important for current events readers except in really red states."
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"So many books lately on the rise of the Right, but here, finally, is a history of postwar liberalism. Media critic, political columnist (e.g., "The Nation"), CUNY journalism professor, and best-selling author (e.g., "Why We're Liberal"), Alterman joins with Ohio University professor Mattson to define liberalism through the individuals who have shaped it over the last decades. Important for current events readers except in really red states. "

--"Library Journal"